Autism-Vaccine Controversy Update · 2005-07-15 12:02

The recent spate of media attention to the autism/vaccine controversy has been breathtaking, to put it diplomatically. Autism=poisoning campaigners’ vehemence and tendency to dismiss any scientific evidence that contradicts their pre-existing conclusions are discussed in Gardiner Harris’ and Anahad O’Connor’s recent article in the New York Times, On Autism’s Cause, It’s Parents vs. Research (see my reply here).

For all his cries of “bring it on!” David Kirby has not responded to my letter of concern about the vicious tenor of his associates’ campaign to convince the public at large not only that mercury toxicity causes autism, but that anyone who differs is somehow the enemy — including parents and autistic people themselves. Perhaps responding to that letter might make it necessary for Mr. Kirby to stray just a little too far from his talking points for comfort?

I’ve corresponded with venture capitalist J.B. Handley of Generation Rescue, an organization promoting chelation and other products and services on its website. Another mother wrote to Mr. Handley to express her concern about the quality of the “counsel” that might be provided to developmentally disabled individuals and their family members by certain representatives of his organization. My letter to Salon.com in response to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s article, Deadly Immunity was published on 17 June 2005, and a letter to USA Today appeared in their July 11, 2005 edition.

Hats off to Autism Diva for her ever-informative and wickedly entertaining observations about the whole foofaraw, and to Orac for his devastating analysis of Mr. Kennedy’s bombastic claims of conspiracy and cover-up. Such claims are disturbing but not surprising, given the long history of conspiracist thinking by critics of vaccination (more on that subject soon).

Blogger Prometheus has stepped up to the plate, assessing the quality of research emitted by autism=poisoning campaigners. And Bob Carroll of Skeptics’ Dictionary fame weighs in with a thought-provoking discussion of the national security implications of allowing shifting and often ill-informed public opinion to dictate national policy pertaining to vaccine production and product liability.

In fact, RFK Jr.’s article has inspired so many penetrating responses that I’ve prepared a new index of commentaries on the autism/vaccine controversy. Given the rate at which new articles are being published on the subject, I’m going to have to update that page every couple of days to keep it current.

Over the past year, I’ve accumulated quite a mass of original material on the site, and have finally gotten around to creating a new page, Neurodiversity.com Essays & Letters. Check it out and you may well find some good stuff that you never knew was here.

Comments


  1. I get the distinct impression that both Mr. Kirby and Mr. Kennedy have focused all of their investigative efforts on the mercury side of the mercury=autism connection. Their stories reveal no attempt to understand autism. I doubt that either of them have any interest in autistic people; their interest is in the possibility of exposing some scandalous governmental wrongdoing. The fact that autism involved is meaningless to them, but adds a fortuitous human interest angle in the form of poisoned babies.

    David Kirby says “bring it on,� yet he has not offered to debate any autism expert. Furthermore, he refuses even to talk to the Autism Diva, and I’m sure would decline to debate any other autistic person. I suppose it is beneath Mr. Kirby to engage in a dialogue with somebody who perseverates. I think the reason he has not responded to your letter is because the quality of life of autistic people is not something he is willing to think about. He has a narrow agenda.

    While I enjoy reading the comments of Skeptico, Orac and others who apply some critical thinking to what Kirby and Kennedy are writing, it is good to see a blog by somebody with an interest in the autism side of the equation. — Anne    2005-07-15 13:44    #

  2. Kathleen,

    Congratulations on birth of a beautiful blog.

    Your site is a veritable autism encyclopedia and features the best of information bearing on the ethical treatment of autistics.

    Autism Diva looks forward to the day when mercury is taken out of autism discussion all together, as it is in most of the rest of the world.

    Then we can battle the “ABA” monster.

    Kirby says in the end he’ll walk away from autism. No doubt. As soon as whoever stops paying (by the word ?) for speaking on the topic.

    Kennedy will use it as long as it fits his agenda.

    Autism Diva — Autism Diva    2005-07-16 18:55    #

  3. Actually, David Kirby has volunteered to debate “experts.” However, he seems to want to do it on turf very friendly to him, namely the Don Imus Show. I compared this to the kinds of “debate challenges” that creationists like to make to scientists and cautioned that whoever thinks about accepting such a rigged “challenge” should be very careful:

    http://oracknows.blogspot.com/2005/06/mercury-and-autism-more-huffington.html — Orac    2005-07-19 12:23    #